Dressing for success (a race report)

I never saw this coming….

Yep, that’s me in first place of my AG division!!!!  Holy #@^#!  I placed 2nd in my AG division two years ago at a local 5K, but this….this was a half-marathon! 

But let me go back to the beginning….

As you know, I’ve spent the last 3 weeks coaching my Achilles back to health by trying to provide a balance of TLC and workouts to keep me strong, yet not broken.  I signed up for this Cape Ann ½ Marathon as part of my training for the Cape Cod Marathon this Fall.  Knowing the course would include rolling hills, I looked forward to tackling them in order to best prepare for my marathon.  When the Achilles got cranky recently, I got a little worried.  Turns out my balance of TLC and workouts worked!  I felt no pain or tension – well, no more than one feels when one is pushing during a race of course.

The day started out cloudy and drizzly, but with a heavy humidity hanging in the air.  The course weaved through Rockport and Gloucester, so there were lots of pretty sights (i.e. vast marsh areas, the ocean, pretty homes) to keep me distracted.  When I started the race, I felt OK.  Not fantastic, but not terrible.  I certainly didn’t feel a PR or an AG win was in the humid air, that’s for sure.  I did notice that my outfit choice seemed fitting for the YuKanRun series colors (except for the rogue blue cap) and thought that must be a good omen, right? 

Here are my splits with the brief thought that I recall floating into my brain as the mile passed –

1                 7:55         (Seriously?)

2                 7:53         (OMG, I do NOT belong here - this I stated out loud)

3                 8:08         (Wait, maybe I DO belong here)

4                 8:08         (Must.Pull.Back)

5                 9:07         (Mile markers 4 & 5 seemed off)

6                 8:18         (Aaah, that’s better – and I saw Scott on the turnaround!)

7                 8:14         (OK, I can do this)

8                 8:15         (Steadyyyyy)

9                 8:27         (Out and backs make you realize you’re really NOT last)

10             8:38         (Hung with a younger chick until….)

11             8:06         (….I dropped her on this hill!)

12             8:47         (I might die and clearly, I will not run a sub-2 hour race)

13.1    9:13        (Is there really another hill, short but c'mon…yes, whining was coming)

Pace        8:20

Isn’t it funny how our heads can speak so loudly (good or bad) during a race?  Through those random thoughts, I kept repeating to myself a mantra just for today: 

It’s supposed to hurt when you push!

When the results started getting posted on the building wall nearby, Scott ran over to check them out.  When he returned to me, he looked….funny.  He hugged me and whispered to me that I had won my AG division.  I responded with “SHUT UP!”  I didn’t believe him.  Scott can play out a joke very well and this wouldn’t have been the first time!  So, he ushered me over to the results, but of course I couldn’t see because I didn’t have my glasses on.  He asked a couple who was also checking out results to validate my placement, since surely my husband couldn’t be trusted.  They validated it of course and then congratulated me.  Wow, was I stunned.

We hung around for the awards ceremony (duh) and I even got to stand up on a podium when I received my plaque! 

I’m so happy with today’s race!  The fact that I PR’d by ~ 2 minutes is very gratifying; add the AG win and you’ve got the icing on the cake!  More importantly, the fact that I felt good and strong during and after the race is the ultimate goal I strive for.  MOST importantly, my running outfit matched the YuKanRun color scheme of green, black, & white perfectly.  Slight faux pax on the cap color, but hey, that’s what I call dressing for success!